Every
week, something fun is happening at the German Society of Pennsylvania.
Lectures, Panel Discussions,
Movies,
German soccer broadcasts,
and music
fill our home on Spring
Garden Street in Philadelphia.

The first German immigrants
came to Philadelphia,
led by Franz Daniel
Pastorius, from Krefeld,
Germany
in 1683.Subsequently, poor
Germans, who could not afford
ship fare to America,
were induced to sign contracts (in English) to work 4-5 years after
their
arrival, or until their ship fare had been fully paid.The immigrants were then sold into work after
arrival.

The
German
Society of Pennsylvania was founded to relieve these
fellow
countrymen and women who were being sold into a form of slavery.The founding members of
the Society preached
humanity and the maintenance of German practices, moral standards, and
charitable acts.

Officially founded on
December 26, 1764, The German Society of Pennsylvania is the oldest
German
organization of its kind in the United States.

The original home of the
German Society (GSP) was the German Lutheran Schoolhouse on Cherry Street.During that time, upon the
presentation to
the Society of six books in 1783, the Library
was founded.To
this day, the most prized archival
possession is the Christopher Sauer Bible – the first Bible
to be printed in
any European language in the United States.

In
1887, the
Spring
Garden Street townhouse
(the Society’s current home) was purchased. During
the
relocation, the membership flourished, and by 1914, there were 624
members.However,
during the 1930s and 40s, the gain
in new members was greatly exceeded by the loss of current members due
to death
following the Great Depression and the war.By the end of World War II, the Society maintained only
350
members.

The surge in membership
around the turn of the century can also be attributed to the founding
of the
Women’s Auxiliary
on May 22, 1900.Started
by twelve ladies, led by Antonie Ehrlich, the Women’s
Auxiliary soared to 800
members after its official incorporation in 1908.

World War II was a difficult
time for the Germans of the Society.It
was a deeply personal struggle to stand by while two countries they
loved
dearly were at war with each other. At
the end of
the war, the GSP partnered with the “American Relief for Central Europe.”The
Women’s
Auxiliary also banded together to process and ship 2,700,000 pounds of
clothing
to needy families in Europe.

In the 1960s, the Society
began to take a further interest in students and the youth of the Philadelphia
area.The GSP and
AATG (American Association of
Teachers of German) began a German
scholarship program – which still
continues.This
decade also marked the beginning
of dramatic German plays performed by area students – led by
our own Frank
Genieser.A Youth
Group was formed that
held dances, cultural outings and lectures.

Since the 1960s, the Society
has been able to hold its own.The
membership is now approximately 700.The
calendar is packed with all different types of events
– lectures, dinners,
movies, concerts, tastings, and much
more.The language program
for adults and children is taught in a fun, relaxed, and affordable
atmosphere.The
Library’s holdings are
growing.The halls
are abuzz just about
everyday with volunteers
cooking, cleaning, and maintaining the building.

It is only through
generous donations from our supporters that we will be able to further
the
understanding of German and German-American contributions to the growth
of American
history into the future.

Interesting
facts:

In
1764, when the GSP was founded…

America would not yet become a nation
for another 12 years.

The French Revolution
was twenty-five years in the future.

Wolfgang von Goethe was
beginning
his travels for the University
of Leipzig.

Friedrich Schiller was only
five years old.

Mozart was writing his first
symphony – at the age of eight.

Beethoven would be born six
years later.

The French and Indian War
had just come to a close.

The
complete historical summary can be found in “A
History of the German Society of Pennsylvania:
Bicentenary Edition 1764-1964,” by Harry W. Pfund.

An historical summary
(from 1764-present)
can be found in the recently published "Ethnicity Matters: A History of
the German Society of Pennsylvania" by
Dr. Birte Pfleger.